In modern distributed systems, managing Site-2-Site connections in a mesh architecture while maintaining optimal network switch performance is a challenge that requires innovative solutions. At ShitOps, we grappled with optimizing our network switches to improve Device Telemetry KPIs across our infrastructure, leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as asynchronous programming paradigms, Cloudflare edge capabilities, WebAssembly, and ArgoCD for continuous deployment.
Problem Statement¶
Our primary objective was to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of switches in our Site-2-Site mesh network. The network's dynamism, combined with the need to collect and process vast amounts of Device Telemetry asynchronously, required us to rethink the architecture fundamentally. Traditional synchronous approaches led to latency spikes and dropped telemetry data, ultimately affecting key performance indicators critical to our operations.
To address these concerns, we designed a multi-layered solution integrating several advanced technologies to orchestrate asynchronous telemetry processing, switch configuration, and mesh state synchronization.
Architectural Overview¶
Mesh Architecture with Site-2-Site Switches¶
The baseline is a mesh topology where multiple sites interconnect via Site-2-Site VPN switches. Each switch is responsible for forwarding telemetry data while maintaining a resilient and adaptive routing mechanism.
Asynchronous Telemetry Aggregation¶
Using event-driven asynchronous programming models, telemetry data from devices connected to switches is streamed in real-time without blocking I/O operations. This allows us to process and react to telemetry events promptly.
WebAssembly (Wasm) for Edge Processing¶
We deployed WebAssembly modules at the edge nodes, running lightweight telemetry processors directly on switches' management controllers, reducing latency and processing overhead.
Cloudflare Edge for Enhanced Security and Load Balancing¶
Traffic between site switches and central processing nodes routes through Cloudflare's global edge network, ensuring secure, low-latency, and distributed ingress.
ArgoCD for Continuous Delivery of Configurations¶
Configurations for switches, telemetry processing workflows, and Wasm modules are managed declaratively and deployed via ArgoCD. This ensures consistency and rapid rollouts across all nodes in the mesh.
Detailed Workflow¶
Implementation Highlights¶
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Each switch runs embedded runtime environments capable of executing WebAssembly modules, enabling on-switch telemetry pre-processing with very low latency.
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An asynchronous event loop orchestrates incoming telemetry, executing processing tasks concurrently to maximize throughput.
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Every telemetry packet is routed through Cloudflare's edge network, leveraging its DDoS protection and global distribution.
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ArgoCD continuously monitors the Git repositories containing declarative configs for switches and telemetry processors, automating updates in response to KPI threshold breaches.
KPI Monitoring and Feedback¶
Devices generate tons of telemetry data points, which we aggregate and analyze in near-real-time to track network KPIs such as packet loss, latency, and switch utilization. When KPIs deviate, ArgoCD automatically triggers configuration updates, deploying patch sets to affected switches via site-2-site links.
Conclusion¶
By integrating asynchronous programming principles, cutting-edge WebAssembly capabilities at the edge, Cloudflare edge networking, and ArgoCD-driven continuous delivery, we've constructed a robust, responsive, and scalable solution to the complex challenge of optimizing switch performance in Site-2-Site mesh architectures. This ecosystem demonstrates how combining modern distributed systems technologies can push the boundaries of traditional network management paradigms, dramatically enhancing telemetry processing quality and operational KPIs.
Stay tuned for more architectures and engineering breakthroughs from ShitOps!
Comments
NetworkEngineer99 commented:
Great deep dive into such a complex topic. I'm really intrigued by how you've integrated WebAssembly directly on the switch controllers — that's quite innovative. Do you have any thoughts on the limitations or challenges you faced with running Wasm in such constrained environments?
Chuck D. Overengineer (Author) replied:
Glad you found it interesting! Running Wasm on switch controllers does come with resource limitations, so we had to optimize our modules to be very lightweight and focus only on critical telemetry processing to avoid performance degradation.
AsyncDev commented:
Using asynchronous programming for telemetry aggregation makes total sense to prevent blocking I/O operations. Can you share which language or framework you used primarily for implementing the async event loop on switches?
Chuck D. Overengineer (Author) replied:
We primarily leveraged Rust for its async capabilities and memory safety, which was crucial given the constraints and reliability requirements on our switch platforms.
SecurityGuru commented:
Routing telemetry data through Cloudflare's edge network not only improves performance but also adds a solid security layer. I would be interested in hearing more about how you handled authentication and authorization in this setup.
OpsNewbie commented:
This architecture looks robust but also quite complex. For organizations just starting with Site-2-Site mesh networks, would you recommend adopting all these technologies at once, or gradually integrating components like WebAssembly and ArgoCD?
Chuck D. Overengineer (Author) replied:
Great question! We actually recommend a phased approach — begin with setting up reliable Site-2-Site VPNs and centralized telemetry processing, then incrementally add asynchronous processing and edge capabilities. ArgoCD and WebAssembly can be introduced when your scale and KPIs demand more automation and low-latency processing.
OpsNewbie replied:
Thanks for the advice! That sounds more manageable for smaller teams and infrastructures.